The Myth of Surplus Steel Buildings

If you’re shopping for a steel building, you’ve seen the websites with big banner headlines: SURPLUS STEEL BUILDINGS. Can you really get a good deal by buying surplus steel buildings?

In a word, no. The fact is that there’s no such thing as a surplus steel building. The sites that pretend to sell surplus metal buildings are simply engaging in one of the most common high-pressure sales tactics used to get you to buy without researching for the best price. Here are a few facts.

-          Pre-fab metal buildings are generally made to order and specially engineered for a particular site and use. A steel building designed and fabricated for one site is not likely to meet the standards for another location.

-          People who buy steel buildings don’t generally order steel buildings on a whim. They think long and hard about their decision. They don’t typically put down a deposit on a building and then change their minds.

-          Manufacturers do not put together complete steel buildings to “have them ready” because each steel building must meet the standards and specifications for a particular area. They don’t have warehouse yards full of steel buildings looking for a buyer.

Steel Building at Reduced Cost

If you’re talking to a salesperson and he mentions that he happens to have a surplus steel building sitting there that’s perfect for your needs, be very suspicious. As noted, it’s very unlikely to be true. In the unlikely event that he actually does have a metal building that was ordered by someone else who failed to follow through on the order – because, after all, things DO happen – it’s nearly impossible that it will fit your needs perfectly.

Steel buildings are designed specifically for the geographic location in which they’ll be erected. They must meet local building codes for wind loads, snow loads and other weather loads. Local building codes may require special design features in one area that aren’t necessary in another. A steel building made for a backyard in New England won’t meet the codes for a metal building to be erected on an Oklahoma farm.

Surplus May Equal Used

Those surplus steel buildings the salesman is trying to sell you could very well be a used steel building that someone else no longer needs. There’s nothing wrong with buying a used steel building – as long as you know that’s what you’re buying. One of the many benefits of buying a steel building is that you actually can disassemble it and reassemble it elsewhere. It reduces the amount of debris in landfills and reduces the cost of demolition. However, it’s not a “surplus” steel building. It’s a used product and could have multiple problems that you’ll be inheriting.

When you’re shopping for a steel building, take the time to research your needs and find a good dealer or manufacturer. Don’t fall for the surplus steel buildings scam.